1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to a golf putter grip that has an improved shape or configuration capable of reducing the gripping pressure and minimizing the wrist breaking-down, whereby it is able to enhance a pendulum-type putting stroke of golf players, to make the grip comfortable to hold, and to putt the ball more accurately and have better distance and direction control.
2. Background of the Invention
Putting stroke is very important for the golf players to putt the ball into the hole at the putting green. A pendulum-type putting stroke has been used by the golf players to have square impact with the ball in the intended line of ball rolling and better direction and distance control. In order to make this type of stroke, the golf players at addressing the ball should have their shoulder on the same level, both hands cupped together to hold a golf putter grip downwardly at the same height, both thumbs placed side by side on a flat front portion of the golf putter grip, and other fingers beside the thumbs placed around the body of the golf putter grip. The shoulder, the arms and the cupped hands holding the golf putter grip together form a triangle frame to move the golf putter in the way of pendulum to strike the ball stably and consistently in their intended direction and distance.
There are some prior arts disclosing a golf putter grip with an improved gripping body shape for this type putting stroke. In a U.S. patent with application Ser. No. 10/594,129 as shown in FIGS. 1˜1A, Gazeley disclosed a putter grip including a gripping body having a wide portion of substantially uniform and substantially rectangular cross section. The wide portion is of sufficient width to allow two hands to hold at the same height. In another U.S. patent with Pat. No. 6,902,492, as shown in FIGS. 2˜2A, Strand disclosed a putter grip including a hollow tapered body having a modified rectangular cross section. The body has an upper and an intermediate portions, in combination, extending at least 60% of the body length from its second closed end and having a width dimension to depth dimension ratio of at least 1.1:1.
A human hand consists of a broad palm PM and five digits and is attached to the forearm by a joint called the wrist TW, as shown in FIG. 3. The lengths of Index fingers DX and middle fingers MD (between the fingertip and the palm) are longer than that of small fingers PK. When two hands are cupped together at the same height with both thumbs placed side by side to hold a conventional golf putter single grip downwardly, the area held by middle fingers MD and palms PM is towards a bottom open end of the golf putter grip and should be larger in dimension than the dimension of the area held by the small fingers PK and the palms PM towards a top cap end of the golf putter grip in order to make the grip comfortable to hold and reduce the gripping pressure. If the shape of the single grip's gripping body of a conventional golf putter does not accommodate the fingers (middle fingers MD and small fingers PK) with different finger lengths, the golf players need to grip the conventional putter single grip more tightly in order to hold it firmly. Thus, the single grip's gripping body of the conventional golf putter for the pendulum-type putting stroke is better to be reversely tapered in shape from the top cap end towards the bottom open end of the conventional golf putter single grip, and its reverse taper should be sufficient in certain degrees to accommodate the fingers (small and middle fingers) with different finger lengths for making the grip comfortable to hold and reducing the gripping pressure. These certain degrees should conform to what is regulated in “the Rules of Golf” published by U.S.G.A. (United States Golf Association).
Moreover, some golf players prefer to stretch and rest their index fingers at a portion of the putter grip close to its bottom open end for their pendulum-type putting stroke. This also should be taken into consideration to improve the golf putter grip.